Kim Fett
by Darth Comrade
Summary: As the Republic struggles with the Mandalorian Wars, Jarren, A Jedi Padawan, reaches his final trial. But when he meets up with Kim Possible, an adopted Mandalorian, his test takes an unexpected turn to the worst! Full Plot inside. PENDING
1. Evading the Inevitable

A.N.

I do not own Star Wars. I do not own Kim Possible.

This is a fanfic that I've been working on for quite sometime…and I feel very passionate about!

I'm trying my best to give this story a Knights of the Old Republic feel to it. And I promise I will do all I can to make this just as successful as Grounded for Life and Kim's Empire with the same mixture as Resurgence of an Empire. Its depth does not lie in the star wars universe as much as it does in the plot itself…There are a few aspects that I changed from the canon, but nothing too dramatic.

If you're not too familiar with most of the references or terms then there is little to worry about. I always keep starwars illiteracy in mind, so I explain a lot of the things. But you are expected to know the basics. Like what is a light saber!

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PLOT:

The Republic is on the fringe of collapse due to war and corruption. During these difficult times, Jarren, a Jedi Padawan, faces his final trial to becoming a full fledged Jedi Knight…unfortunately the trial involves a race well known for their dark ideologies and violent nature, The Mandalorians.

As Jarren meets with Kim Possible, an adopted member of the Fett clan, and as a separate group of fallen Jedi march against the Mandalorians to relieve the Republic, he finds himself faced with a difficult decision, to ignore the pleas of the Republic, all the while becoming a common enemy among the clans due to his identity or join a rallied movement against the Mandalorian attacks and face being called a deserter of the Jedi teachings. Either way, his chances of passing the trial is rapidly becoming impossible!

Enjoy!

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Chapter1- Evading the Inevitable

The skies over Nar-Shaddaa, as busy and bustling as the planet's surface, was filled with in-coming and out-going traffic of smugglers and slave-ships, each belonging to some illegally active corporation. But Jarren, a blue haired young man, wasn't interested in watching that, his focus was fixed upon the one star-fighter that was locked on his sensors.

"Tee-Three, power up the front deflector shields. The Nar-Shaddaa traffic is like flying into a flock of Rancors!" The targeted ship swerved and dived around and past freighters and orbital stations, Jarren in hot pursuit, "This guy seems to be enjoying himself!"

And he sure is smart. Somehow this pilot knows how to get a Jedi off his trail. Nar Shaddaa, or any other metropolis planet, is the best place to get lost in. Whether it is a Jedi or anybody else, the hustle and bustle of people, their thoughts, their activity, creates a blur in the Force, a sort of vibrant and constantly molding energy. It makes it hard to focus, difficult to read. And somehow, this pilot knows that…or he made a very clever guess to run here.

But, Jarren's master, Corran Jinn, always taught him that there's no such thing as luck…then that means this pilot came here for a reason.

"Tee-three," the droid responded with a simple beep, "give me readout on the closest corporation headquarters our friend is going to land near."

Tee-three beeped what sounded like a question.

"Just do as I say, I have a feeling whoever this person is wouldn't have lead us here just to leave afterwards."

The clever fool almost led me into a trap!

When the two ships finally made it through the atmosphere they zigzagged and twirled between past interchanges and between the typical tall and dark Nar Shaddaa towers. Not much different than Courascant, Nar Shaddaa is home to the most ruthless criminals, and not surprisingly, a lot of its corporations and businesses are owned by Hutts, whose illegal networks unfortunately stretch out to the farthest reaches of the galaxy.

Oh yes, this is the perfect place for Jarren's suspect to get lost in.

Jarren has been after this man for over a week days now. He's a suspect for a simple crime, which the Jedi assigned him to investigate. Really, there's nothing more he'd love to be investigating right now other than what the Mandalorians and the Republic are doing. But the Jedi Council wants no involvement in the Mandalorian Wars. War is not a Jedi business!

At last, the suspect's ship escaped…but undoubtedly, he landed somewhere near here.

"Find us a landing pad, Tee-three. I'm going down to find him!"

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Oh, how different this place is from Dantooine, the home planet of Jarren's Jedi training. Does nobody here know what a pleasant smile looks like?

Criminals, refugees, bounty hunters, gamblers, smugglers, at least they have a place to call home in the galaxy. Jarren would hate to see any of their likes back on Dantooine. For this reason, Jarren is grateful for Nar Shaddaa.

"Glorious Jewel, alright!" muttered Jarren, that's what Nar Shadda's name means in Huttese!

According to Tee-three's readouts, the closest corporation to this area, and also the most powerful, is the Exchange. A very popular organization that deals with business the likes that Jarren's suspect is in on, bounty hunting, but, they prefer to call it 'hired mercenaries'.

Jarren entered what looked like a docking area for freighters. Crates were lined everywhere, yet nobody seemed to be working here. The view of passing traffic above was spectacular as always. Towers totally eclipsed the horizon. It was always night here on Nar Shaddaa, but the illumination from the buildings made up for the darkness.

"Hello sir, how may I be of service?" Jarren turned around to find a silver plated protocol droid standing in front of him.

"I'm looking for a man, a pilot. He landed near here moments ago."

"Yes, a man did come here; he asked me several questions about the Exchange."

"What kinds of questions?"

"Business related questions. I believe he was seeking to hire mercenaries…or join."

"Interesting."

"Ah, here he comes now!"

Jarren turned around to find a crowd of heavily armed aliens, of different breeds, walking through a door on the other side of the docking area, coming his way.

"Ah, you were the one following me!" spoke one of them, he was masked, unlike the others and his voice was mechanical.

"You are suspected of a crime, you're going to have to come with me!"

"I'm afraid I cannot do that, Jedi!" with a gesture of his hand his comrades raised their weapons, varying from vibroswords to blasters. Jarren also noticed other mercenaries appearing from different hiding spots in the docking area, "I was afraid it was going to come to this!"

Jarren immediately leapt at an incredible height and ignited his light saber just before a series of laser blasts struck his ground. The poor protocol droid exploded into a heap of junk. Jarren came down on a group of the mercenaries and cut them down without much difficulty. A couple came on to him with vibroblades in hand, weapons capable of parrying a light saber. They swung but Jarren parried and cut off their arms, leaving them incapacitated on the ground moaning their loss. It wasn't long before the rest of the mercenaries realized they were over powered and fled, but Jarren's target didn't run far before he intercepted him.

"Where do you think you're off to bucket-head?"

"You think this is over, Jedi?" taunted the helmet wearing man.

"What are you talking about?"

"You Jedi always think you've got everything figured out, and that all your troubles will fade away if you ignore them. Well, you're wrong!"

"What does this have to do with anything?"

The mysterious criminal cackled under his helmet, "You think you've avoided the Mandalorian Wars? Well, you're all going to be surprised when you figure out the inevitable!"

"What is the inevitable?"

"Fighting a Mandalorian!"

"You are a Mandalorian?" Just as the words came out of Jarren's mouth the sturdy armored man before him swung a vibroblade in his direction, and kept swinging until Jarren had dodged enough to leap over his opponent.

"Shouldn't you be in the frontlines?"

"In a sense, I am." The warrior swung again and again, "and I've been craving to go home carrying a Jedi ornament…they'd surely make me Mandalore!"

"You…lead the Mandalorians? I wouldn't count on it!"

To taunt a Mandalorian surely must be the most dishonorable thing to them. At least, that's what Jarren thinks from what he's heard. The Mandalorians are savages!

"You wouldn't know a Mandalorian if he stood in front of you and took off his helmet!" his opponent mocked, and as they locked blades, the rigid warrior allowed for one hand to slip into his blaster holster and rapidly unleash a heated bolt just past Jarren's dodging head. Unfortunately for the Mandalorian, Jarren took advantage of his opponent's single-handed effort and sliced off his arm with a simple swerve.

"Rraaagh!" he yelped in horror, but directed the pistol, insisting to kill the Jedi, only to be disappointed once-again and had his second arm sliced off as well. As he roared in terror, the warrior charged at Jarren with his full body to find a light saber blade ripping through his chest.

The combatant's heavy body collapsed on to the ground, suddenly falling still. Jarren then rummaged through his pack and discovered a datapad.

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Jarren stood before the Jedi Council, back on Dantooine. Masters Dajaar, Vrook, Atris and others all sat, perplexed, listening to Jarren's report.

"A Mandalorian on Nar Shaddaa you say?" Vrook began, "This is most disturbing."

"Yes, master. He carried this Datapad with him, a lot of it was deleted but this part remains." Jarren read aloud the piece that mostly intrigued him, "Mandalore chose my brother to take up his mantle. He must be blind to have made that choice! My sister could do a better job, I wouldn't mind if Mandalore had gone for her instead, too bad she always saw herself Kim Possible first and Kim Fett second."

"What do you make of it?" asked Kavar, a sturdy human.

"Chosen a successor, Mandalore appears has done." Spoke Master Vandaar, a short brown skinned humanoid creature with frog like features and pointy ears.

"It's an opportunity for us to make a difference, and perhaps stop this war." Master Zez-Kai Ell, pointed out, a bearded human with a thick moustache.

"I'm not so sure, they could take it negatively, and then wage war against us." Vrook argued.

"I concur. They have been known to hold a lot of hatred towards us Jedi and our ideology for a long time…it's a great risk." Kavar agreed.

"Master, if I may interrupt," spoke Jarren, "I believe this is a risk worth taking. It is possible that the Mandalorians are dealing with The Exchange, and if that is true then this war could be heading towards a darker path. Also, If only for the sake of the sacrifices many planets have made throughout this war, we could gain a lot of knowledge about our enemy."

Silence ensued until Zez-Kai Ell interrupted, "What are you proposing, Jarren?"

"I'm requesting the council to permit me to travel to Mandalore, for the sole purpose of culture research and investigation on the Mandalorians recent activities. Besides, I believe it is almost time for my trials…I believe this would be the perfect task. Again, the final decision is yours."

The masters exchanged looks and finally Master Vandaar nodded solemnly, "Very well, to Mandalore, you may go. But, consult with your master, I suggest"

Jarren smiled and bowed, "Thank you master, I will."

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A.N.

This is where the fun begins!

I'm sure most of you Mandalorian Star Wars fans, like myself, will enjoy this fic. (I did a lot of research on them specifically for this story). Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable fans will also enjoy this…it's got a bit of everything!

Warning, don't expect much shipping! This is not a romance story. (But…you never know for sure.)


	2. Homecoming

A.N.

You'll see what the title is about soon enough.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 2- Homecoming

Mandalore, the planet named after Mandalore the First, the first leader of the Mandalorians, enjoyed a very fruitful harvest season this year.

A planet made up of farmers, farmers who believe that the greatest honor is earned through battle. Mandalorians also believe that men should be raised strong, and the women even stronger. For it is the woman who takes up the job of the men once they go to war, and it is also her job to defend their home planet, in case of an attack. But, the one thing Kim Fett did not approve of, was the fact she could not take up the job of her father while he's away, because she is a woman.

Standing on a hill, overlooking the lush farm lands of Mandalore, Kim stroked her hand through her auburn hair and took in a deep breath of the morning breeze.

Things were wild all month with nobody leading the tribes. This week alone saw some nasty fights among the families, whether it was over food, or false rumors from the war, or even fights between the kids. Anything got them heated up into arguments. Perhaps it was part of the anxiousness that their husbands and sons are fighting, honor in battle or not, they still loved them and any word of their wellbeing was welcomed with great anticipation.

Kim sighed with great distaste, no matter how much her father tried, there were some things in Mandalorian culture she could never understand.

Several objects moved across the atmosphere, the setting sun created a bright aura around the incoming ships, setting the perfect backdrop for the thrilling moment. Kim smiled and ran back towards the village.

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After everything got packed and the ship is almost ready to take off, Jarren felt a surge in the force, a small one. Its source came from his master, Corran Jinn, he had called him.

Jarren walked through the durasteel doors on to the balcony and found his master, who was quietly watching the sunset. He stood beside him and did the same. He had been looking for him all day, but his master was no where to be found. There's a reason he called him, Jarren only hoped it was good news.

"You've been looking for me." Corran Jinn began. Jarren noted it wasn't a question.

"I wanted to inform you that I've decided to visit Mandalore." Jarren kept a straight face, just as his master did. But, he wasn't sure if he was doing it to impress him, or just because he had adapted it from him.

"I see I have no say in this." Jinn pointed out.

"Master, if we ever wish to understand…"

"Oh, I agree." Corran interrupted, "Although what's more important to me, Jarren, is to see you pass the final trial."

He turned to face Jarren, who's blue hair blew with the wind, and both their robes flapped against it.

"This could be the most important task you may ever face. For the trial of a Jedi not only determines his fate, but sometimes the fate of the entire galaxy may also lie on the choice he makes."

Jarren looked into his master's eyes. And he saw trouble; he felt the disturbance in his heart.

"Is something troubling you, master?"

"I cannot hide it from you, Jarren. I feel I must warn you," his master leaned on to the rail and looked down to the footpath below, "I've been having…visions."

"What do you see in them?"

"I see you." He said, plainly, "I see two of you."

"And?" Jarren managed to maintain his composure, a trick his master taught him well. It may prove to be useful in his trial.

"The first one is dressed in traditional Jedi clothing, like the one you have on now. The second is dressed in Mandalorian armor, without the helmet. That one had red hair."

"Red hair?" Jarren lost his composure then. He still has much to learn.

"The two of you were standing face to face, holding hands and spinning in circles, both your faces showed struggle."

"That's a strange vision." Jarren wondered, "Do you know what it means?"

"Things will get clearer in time. Trust me." Corran placed a hand on his padawan's shoulder, "until then, my good friend. I bid you farewell on your task. Remember, the force can be a Jedi's greatest ally, or worst enemy."

"Yes, Master. I will not forget." He smiled and bowed, "May the force be with you."

He returned the bow, "May the force guide you too, my padawan."

Jarren turned and walked away, leaving his master to enjoy the wondrous terrain of Dantooine and its sunset once again while leaning against the rail. His mind fell into nostalgia, of the days gone by as he instructed his gifted student. A small freighter lifted from the dock below, hovering on Corran's level. He watched it as it turned and disappeared into the atmosphere and beyond.

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Kim stood among the crowds of women and old men, awaiting the landing pad to finally settle so that the travelers may step off the ship and greet their families. Her wide smile fooled the others into thinking she was excited to meet her father, but it was someone else she was anticipating more. A close friend of hers, one she's known for more years than her father.

Engine coolants and hydraulics gas ejected from various parts of the ship as the pad finally settled. The heroes came pacing down the ramp wearing wide smiles and new scars. To the families, the latter was a greater honor to see. As for Kim, that's a different story.

She looked feverishly, trying to make out familiar faces, but with no avail.

Once the first batch rushed off to meet their loved ones, a new wave came down the ramp, except in this one she recognized the buff man marching pompously in between the bunch, dressed in his signature navy blue armor, helmet to match, streaked with yellow lines on each arm and leg and across his forehead, Mandalore waved to the crowds. Kim just shook her head in aversion.

Beside Mandalore came her brother, Jim Fett. Dressed in red armor, decorated with grey triangles on each limb, and his brown hair cut short, he bared several new scars. His popularity will only increase, making him an even better choice to carry the mantle of Mandalore.

But there, just behind Mandalore, a little to the left, was the one she was looking for. A young man, the same age as she is, dressed in a green, streaked in yellow armor, with blonde hair and a freckled face, her best friend, Ron Fett.

Jumping with joy, she waved zealously to her hero, trying to catch his attention, but he seemed to be shying away from the crowd…silly fool, he should be proud of himself, this was his first battle!

As the group marched heroically to the middle of the crowd Kim grabbed Ron's arm and tugged him away to the clearing.

"Hello hero!" Kim's voice did not hide her excitement to see him again, at last.

Ron's surprise also came out clearly with his cheesy smile, "Kim!"

They hugged tightly and laughed.

Pulling away, Kim nudged him on his shoulder, "So, what was it like? Did you bring any scars?"

Ron grimaced a little at that question, but recovered with a forced smile and a false laugh, "Well, you see…about that. I didn't actually…"

"Just kidding, Ron!" Kim interrupted with a laugh, "I'm just happy to see you've made it back alright."

Ron sighed with relief and scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. He wasn't sure if it was the humiliation of not coming back baring marks of battle, or the fact his best friend showed some affection that made his cheeks turn crimson.

"I just wish your father would agree."

"Step-father, Ron!" Kim scowled.

"Oh, right sorry."

"Don't mind it." They both began to walk further away from the crowd, they spent a lot of their time away from the rest of the village, something her step-father never approved of, but Kim and Ron never really got along with Mandalorian culture very well, although since they were both adopted into it when they were young, they have picked up some habits, "I know he must've been tough on you during the fighting."

"Kim, he's always tough on me, during or not during fighting!"

Kim chuckled again, her friend always made sure her time here was never dull. If only her brothers were this way.

"Hey," Kim stopped and turned back to look at the crowd, "where's Tim? I haven't seen him coming in!"

Ron's visage twisted into a grimace, "Uh Kim, about Tim. I think I should tell you…"

"What, Ron." Kim grabbed him by the shoulders, hoping it's nothing bad he was trying to say to her "tell me what?"

Ever since losing her real parents, Kim had taken up protecting her brothers. Once they got adopted, Mandalore treated the twins like they were his own sons, which Kim never approved of. She on the other hand, was treated with little care. It was clear, from the beginning, he was going to pick one of them to take up his mantle and continue the legacy of the Madnalorians. Almost a decade past, Mandalore was due to decide soon if not already.

Ron looked into Kim's skeptical eyes, "Tim…deserted." She wasn't sure whether she should be happy or disappointed by this. This is most bizarre news to take in.

She slowly let go of his shoulders and dazed off to space, "Deserted…where?"

"We don't know. It happened so quickly during the fighting."

One thing was for sure though. Kim felt a sudden gap in her heart. Like a mother that lost her child, she needed to know he is safe. She needs to know if he's out there. She looked back and watched the crowd again, where her so called father stood shaking hands with his comrades.

Again she shook her head in disgust, a habit she picked up from here, one she hasn't dropped since it began; the day she was adopted.

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A.N.

I'm sure you've all got a vague picture of the adopted children's backgrounds. It'll all be cleared once our Jedi friend appears. Don't worry!

And don't let that vision mess with your heads too much, follow Corran's advice, give it some time.

More to come soon…


	3. Qel Droma's Honor

A.N.

Now that my final exams are done you'll be seeing more updates from me this summer!

In case you're starting to see difficulties comprehending star wars knowledge you can easily use  to get instant information about whatever it is you need help with.

Also, I'll do whatever I can to keep it simplified. After all, this story is kind of an alternative to what happened during the Jedi Civil War just as it is an exploration of what Kim as a Mandalorian would be like.

Enjoy!

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Chapter3- Qel-Droma's Honor

"We cannot get involved in this war," Master Vrook stated firmly to the council.

The temple on Dantooine has become quiet lately. The stronger the Mandalorians got, the more tense the relationship has gotten among the students and their masters. Vrook rubbed his temples, frustrated after repeating himself over a hundred times already.

Everyone shared the same views he had, except one. Master Corran Jinn, mentor to Jarren Qel Droma.

"Oh I know that," replied Jinn, "We all know that, but it is our students that seem to disagree."

"What say do they have in this?" Vrook rhetorically replied, "It is becoming clearer everyday that the darkside is beginning to impact their training."

"Just because they want to help relieve the pressures on the Republic doesn't mean they are turning to the dark side, Master Vrook!" Jinn pointed out, almost sarcastically.

"Curious have I gotten," interrupted Vandar, his greenish ears perked up, clearly frustrated, "where exactly do you stand in this, Master Jinn?"

"I don't believe we're setting a very good example for our students when we're constantly suppressing their offers for help," he explained, gesturing his hands towards the council, "we should hear them out, see what their opinions are in the matter."

"So what you're saying is that the Jedi Council should willingly risk open war with the Mandalorians just because our students suggested so?" Vrook jabbed.

"What I'm saying is the Jedi Council should reason with their students, or otherwise risk losing them!"

An awry smile crept across Vrook's face, "Much like they way you're doing with your student, Master Jinn?"

Jinn's eyes narrowed on Vrook, a tense and quiet moment ensued in the council as the two masters stared each other down. Everbody knew of the Qel-Droma legacy, and what blood ran down Jinn's student's veins.

Uliq Qel-Droma, the talented Jedi Knight who fought on Onderon during the Beast Wars and toppled the influence the evil dark lord Naga Sadow had on the monarchy, later fell to the darkside and attacked the Jedi Archives on Ossus, killing his brother and losing his connection in the force. Uliq lived the rest of his life in remorse on the desolate icy planet Rhen Var, regretting all his acts and building statues in honour of the people he loved. He was later shot through the heart by a pilot who thought he did the galaxy some good in doing so. His daughter and his old girlfriend were there to see his last moments.

And now, his descendant, Jarren Qel-Droma, is his chosen apprentice. Making Jinn vulnerable to criticism the instant his student did anything wrong, or disappointed the other masters in some way. Jarren always wondered why the council was so harsh on his master, if only he knew what his second name meant to the galaxy at one point, Jinn's just glad most people have forgotten.

"My student is not another Uliq, Master Vrook." Jinn spoke coldly.

Vrook raised a brow, "I never said he was, Mater Jinn."

Master Kavar glanced at the two and shrugged, "I take it the council is adjourned then?"

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Jarren was greeted by a beautiful sunrise when he stepped off the ship and took in a deep whiff of Mandalore's surface. He continued his journey down the plank and when his first foot touched the soil a long staff intersected his second step.

He looked up and was met by a tall man covered in blue armor; he failed to spot a pair of eyes behind the visor. Upon closer study, the armor had an inside cloth padding, handmade, not very well obviously.

"And who might you be?" the voice spoke through the helmet, the accent was almost Corellian, but with a stronger emphasis on the vowels.

"Um, I'm a…" Jarren hesitated; he had never met a Mandalorian, unless it was during combat. Being this close is never comfortable.

"Speak," his staff came up to Jarren's throat, radiating sparks as he activated it "or I'll carve the words out of you!"

"I'm Jarren, I wish to speak to your Mandalore," Jarren gulped, he hoped he wasn't offending him in some way, any wrong move and he could mess up his trial, and not to mention start a war between the Jedi and the council, "Sir?"

"My Mandalore?" the man laughed manically, he almost dropped his staff as his hand rushed to his belly, "foolish stranger! There's only one Mandalore!"

Jarren put on a smile as the Mandalorian continued to laugh, "ah yes, of course…that's what I meant!"

"You're a funny one," the man put his staff aside and patted Jarren on the shoulder…hard, "come along with me."

Jarren followed the man into the compound. It was strange that they had the landing pad on the outside of the village. All around him were men in similar armor; he must be on the military side of village. He took notice of the various speeder bikes in front of each shed and a massive antenna overlooked the entire place, stationed above a tall tower, surrounded by gun turrets.

"You, my friend, are in the wrong place," the man spoke as he led Jarren to an open doorway to what seemed like a control room.

"What? You mean I'm not on Mandalore?" Jarren asked, carefully.

"Oh you are!" the man stopped and turned to face him, Jarren noted a large computer panel behind the man, and someone seemed to be operating it, "It's just that you landed yourself in the middle of a military compound!"

"Oh," Jarren winced, what luck, He just stumbled into a nest of fully combat experienced Mandalorians, and at a time when relations with outsiders are already sensitive, "So, can I speak to a captain or someone who can take me to Mandalore?"

The man didn't speak, nor move. He just stared at him, studying him.

"It's kind of important, heh." Jarren began to feel nervous. The first five minutes and the trial already seems to be doomed to failure.

"We don't have a captain." The Mandalorian guide finally spoke, "Mandalorians don't like to be ordered around. Each of us is assigned a position that best suits our field and we do what we can. Each individual, independently, works as a team."

Jarren tried to hide his feelings at the mandalorians' explanation, but his expression betrayed him; an expression of absolute astonishment.

"You obviously don't know Mandalorians do you." his guide noted and turned to the computer operator, he nudged his shoulder and spoke a few words in a language Jarren couldn't comprehend, but from what he could see it became evident they don't get a lot of strangers around here. The other man glanced at Jarren and turned back to his guide, speaking in a deeper tone. The guide nodded and walked over to Jarren, "Come with me, I'll take you to see him."

They stepped back outside and Jarren frowned when he saw a gathering of men in the same blue uniform clustered on the other side of the compound, standing around a ring marked on the ground.

"Ah, the Battle Ring is starting!" the man looked over to Jarren and then glanced back towards the ring, "say, are you any good in a fight?"

Jarren's eyes widened and looked over to his partner, "what?"

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"Come on!" a loud voice snarled through its visor, "you call yourself a Mandalorian?"

"The honor of the Ordo Clan is in your hands!" another muffled voice cried.

"Teach him what it means to be a Mandalorian!" And thus the crowd cheered for the other man. Jarren on the other hand, stood unarmed, unprotected, and just as he chose to be.

The others frowned at that. Normally they prefer to arm themselves to the teeth when entering the Battle Ring, unless the challenger stated otherwise. His guide insisted he do so, but Jarren refused, much to the disappointment of his challenger, a big man who goes by the name of 'Merko Ordo'; apparently one of the best in the crowd. It seems these Mandalorians aren't aware of Jedi feats.

Jarren took up a common battle pose, adapted from his Jedi Training. He could sense his opponets' smile, who was now pouncing in his direction, fists tightly clenched and excited to finish this fight quickly, but Jarren smirked coolly and leapt over his opponents' charge, now upside down and catching a glimpse of his challenger's surprised reaction, Jarren flipped in the air and landed on the shocked Mandalorian's head, crushing him beneath his feet and leaping safely and gracefully behind him.

The crowd now fell silent as the dust cleared, the Mandalorian lifted his head from the dirt and slammed the floor in frustration, growling and cursing. Jarren laughed confidently and stood proudly, ready for the next charge. The Mandalorian turned around and remained crouched, eyeing his opponent. He carefully picked up some sand in his hand and charged again, this time throwing dirt into Jarren's eyes. Crying out as he charged at the blinded Jarren, he opened his arms, hoping to catch the young man, and throw him out of the arena. But Jarren reached out into the force and could sense the imminent danger, rathar than attempt to dodge the attack, Jarren felt this danger could easily become an opportunity to win. He fell on to his back and used his feet to take in the full force of the Mandalorians' charge, then absorbing all the energy he lifted the brute and, tapping into the force, threw him behind, over the ring, over the crowd, screaming as he fell, and landing heavily onto the ground. The crowd watched in awe as the man lifted his arm, and then gave up and allowed it to go limp.

Jarren stood, wiped his eyes from the dirt and posed happily, unscathed, "I take it I win then?" he said.

The crowd laughed, Jarren frowned. They laughed so much he flushed, and began to feel he missed something. They walked over to him, some of them still chuckling, and patted him on the shoulder and back, "Good fighting, young man!" one of them said and Jarren merely shrugged, "Begginier's luck, gets us everytime!" another one jabbed, and Jarren was about to argue, "looking forward to seeing you again, boy!" the last one cheered as he walked away, but Jarren wasn't sure what to say to that.

"That was good!" Jarren turned around, he spotted his guide, the one who got him into this mess in the first place, "Merko over there will struggle to regain the reputation he earned for a long time!" Jarren turned and looked at the body of his opponent, still finding it difficult to sit up, "I'm Purt by the way. What was yours again?"

Jarren turned back to find a hand extended to him, he took it easily, it seems this is one custom he's already used to, "Jarren Qel-Droma."

"Well Jarren, now that you've earned my respect how's about we go meet Mandalore?"

Jarren nodded and smiled, at last things seem to be looking up for his trial.

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A.N.

Soon, the story will start to take some exciting twists!

I hope what I have planned will keep a lot of you reading for some time.


	4. I relish the challenge!

A.N.

A nice long update!

More questions are raised, and the adventure seems to have only just begun. It is funny how fate has a way of bumping into our life, I know that from experience.

Now, enough with the cryptic rant…

Enjoy!

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Chapter 4 - "I relish the challenge!"

"Whoa!" Ron gasped as he ducked in time to avoid what could've been a grisly punch to the cheek. From the moment he had stepped into the battle ring he did not attack his opponent once. He was always good at dodging and avoiding unwanted physical contact. If only he could focus all that energy to swing instead he could win in the ring for once, but alas it was the same story every time.

The man, clad in orange armor streaked with white stripes that were shaped similar to lightning, probably because of his fast jabs that could easily blow the wind out of anyone's lungs. He was smaller than all the other Mandalorian warriors, both in width and height equally. Although he had nerves of steel, he was still the weakest of them all, and yet Ron still couldn't take him on. Physically Ron was not so different from his opponent, and that is why he sees that this could be the chance he could prove his worth to everyone, and no longer be mocked as a man with no honor.

The other Mandalorians guards gathered, not because they believe Ron actually stands a chance against their partner, but for the fun of seeing Ron's hopes and dreams shatter pitifully as it always did; his fights always made for a good laugh. And laugh they did.

"Oof!" Ron tripped up and crawled a little too close to the edge of the ring, his green armor almost completely covered in the lush green grass, and his yellow streaks blemished with mud. The wind blew softly against his hair as he trembled from his opponent, who now looked a lot taller than he originally did, and seemed a lot meaner when he took his helmet off to reveal his young but cruel and unscathed complexion, he had a slightly tanned skin with calm eyes that had that killer instinct look to them.

"Well, well, well," he spoke as he took pompous steps towards Ron, and ran his hand through his short brown curly hair, "should I finish you and let you off easy? Or should I give you an honorable warrior's chance?"

Ron's eyes narrowed, "I don't need pity from you!" with his ankles Ron grabbed at his adversary's foot and twisted as swiftly as he could, the man found his face falling flat in the mud and Ron leapt up and lashed at him to finish the job, only to find himself instantly choking.

He looked down and found that the warrior had grabbed his throat and was lifting his head from the mud, "That was a dirty move, Stoppable!"

Ron's eyes widened to the sound of his old second name. He tried hard to be a Mandalorian, to be one of the Fett clan. Yet everyone always called him Stoppable still. It always provoked him. He attempted to knock the wrist of the hand, again and again, but to no avail. He couldn't breathe, and his eyes began to water, his body was losing energy, again he tried to knock the wrist, but now he was getting dizzy and his head rested on the ground as he looked into the eyes of his opponent.

That moment his impulse kicked in, and Ron's foot met the man's head, knocking him to the ground. Taking the chance to cough and breath, Ron paid the price when his foe got back up, Ron was dragged backwards, kicking and desperately trying to find a grip to hold, until he turned over and grabbed a hand and foot of his rival, which wasn't very smart, because the foot came straight at his face, causing him to wince in pain.

And before Ron could recover, he discovered that his opponent now sat right on top of him, delivering blows all over his face. As Ron cried out in pain and agony, his voice became muffled with the loud and deep laughter of the on lookers.

Kim had been walking through the villages' trading district, dressed in what looked like a scouting outfit; tight black pants with purple stripes going down the sides, a utility belt hanging off her hips, a tight purple short sleeved shirt with a loose sleeveless scouts' jacket over it and shining black military boots. She had just finished her routine patrol around the perimeter of the village, and not because it was her duty, but because it's something she had been doing ever since she was here. It was her way of clearing her mind, and she needed it ever since Tim had been missing. Then a voice registered in her mind, a very familiar and unique voice…Ron's.

She almost shrugged it off, when she heard it again, and it was coming from beside her, where there was an excited crowd of Mandalorian guards gathering around what looked like a battle ring, and then she heard Ron's voice deep within their laughter, automatically she dashed over to see what was going on, she pushed through the crowd, "excuse me, excuse…move!"

Pushing aside the last tower of a man, she was horrified to see her best friend, her only friend in the entire village, pathetically, laying there on the ground, with some Mandalorian guy mounted on top of him and swinging at him like some brutish rancor beast!

"You will remember me, Ron Stoppable!" he said through gritted teeth as he tugged on Ron's collar, "I Goran Chump will rise through the warrior ranks, and you will always fear me!"

"I give…" Ron managed through his swollen cheeks and lips, "I…give!"

But the punches kept coming, and the echoes of laughter kept going, again he tried to cry, "I…give!"

Suddenly Kim flew into the ring, much to the surprise of the observers.

"Enough!" she cried and shoved Ron's antagonist with all her might, sending the man rolling out of the ring and under the feet of the crowd, she glanced down at Ron, concerned and afraid, placing her hand gently on his wounds, "Are you alright?"

Ron could barely open his mouth, trying to mumble something, but the world became a blur and he simply fainted. Kim gasped, and furiously turned to look at Goran, who now got up from the sudden interruption and was glancing at her surprisingly.

She pointed a defiant finger at him, and fumed savagely, "You, me, in the ring now!"

Then voices began to erupt from everywhere, whispers and murmurs. All eyes now fell on Goran.

"Like you would stand a chance against me!" he chuckled, and stood to rival her, "I don't think so, I'm simply not in the mood."

Kim's face twisted into a very dark glare, her mouth barely moved to her words, "whether you like it or not, we're going to fight. The real question is do you prefer it with or without rules?"

The crowd fell silent, and it grew with more spectators, because if there was one thing that would gather so many people in this village, it would be a fight that really counts. They've seen so many good battles in the ring that they've actually grown bored of it. But this time Kim was fighting. Kim never fights. At least not since that long forgotten day; the day her father decided to adopt her. And now is the chance for this girl to live up to her legend. Just like all Mandalorians, these spectators showed no anxiety or excitement, but it was there, Kim could feel it.

Goran took in a deep gulp; she could've sworn she saw tears somewhere in his eyes, with a trembled voice he replied, "Fine. The ring it is then."

Kim clenched her gloved fist and it met the palm of her other gloved hand, "You've got one minute."

He let off a groan and nodded nervously, then watched as Kim paced over to the moaning Ron, falling on her knees and wincing at his wounds she called out to the crowd, "Could someone watch him while I finish from here?"

But no one responded, she grunted feverishly, clearly no one wanted to miss this duel, "Alright, could someone at least put him on the side for me?"

Two buff men stepped out of the crowd and began to drag Ron out. They were clad in colorful attire; Kim concluded that they must've been among those who've seen a lot of action in the ring. Kim stood and paced to the edge not believing that she's actually taking part in this horrendous game, but she had to do it. For Ron; for what this dirt bag did to him.

Turning to face her opponent, she took up a fighting pose by placing one foot in front of the other, and with a straight back she stretched one arm out and the other over her head, both palms open and fingers straight and joined together. Her face was still, her eyes fixated on the target.

All eyebrows were raised, particularly that of her opponents'. It was striking that no one ever saw Kim take up a fighting pose, and it seems that it came naturally to her. This duel has indeed taken a very exciting twist.

Goran shook his head and raised his fists; kickboxing was clearly his style, "Why should I fear you? I have training and experience on my side, you have none!"

He began to dance his way towards Kim, blowing fists in the air and trying to deceive her with false steps on either of her sides. But it was clear to everyone, he was afraid to attack her. The legend was haunting his heart and mind. He glanced into those cold emerald eyes, and all he could picture was doomed failure.

"Go on, man!" a croaky voice from the crowd urged him, "make your move!"

Another, this time, feminine voice chanted, "Get on with it!"

He looked around nervously at the staggering number of young and old Mandalorians watching him, his honor is on the line here, and Kim remained motionless, the bitter memory of her friend being savagely battered by him still fresh in her mind.

"I…I…" he began to stutter, looking back and forth from the crowd to Kim, "I…cant'…"

"I don't have all day, Goran!" Kim taunted, putting her hands down on to her hips and standing casually, "if you're not going to attack, then maybe I should?"

Goran grimaced and spat on the ground, and then he nodded and bit his lip, "Who am I kidding? You'll always be a Possible, a wannabe Mandalorian!"

He then clenched tighter on his fists, it was at the moment when Kim rolled her eyes and let them settle at the uneasy crowd that he made his move.

Everyone gasped to see him attack at such a speed, his fist at the ready, his deriding smile, his careful timing…it was almost perfect chance. No one could deny that Kim was going to get that punch.

When her eyes spotted him, when his swing struck nothing but air, when Kim leapt at an incredible height and allowed her legs split and her hands pat his head and allow her to somersault over him, and when she rolled on the ground and stood back on her feet almost effortlessly, the attention of the crowd became awe struck.

Goran looked around, to see the result of the sudden impact, and found her behind him by several feet, still inside the ring, still standing casually, and now a greater threat to him after displaying such agility, but to him she could be no different than Ron, agile but not powerful at all.

"I guess it's my turn now," Kim uttered while glancing at her nails, and then raised a brow at him, "right?"

Goran took a defensive arrangement, "show me what you've got!"

"Oh," Kim's sarcastic smile faded into a very nasty glare, "I will."

She was in the air, an incredible beam of the sun reflected from her, it all happened when Kim leapt and spun with a quick twist to her left, where her foot found a stunned Goran's jaw. The incredible cracking of his bone created an exciting mix of cheerful admiration and uncomfortable winces in the crowd.

And as he was about to fall backwards, Kim continued the air-spin with her right foot landing squarely on his chest with all her might, winding him as his body touched the ground. But Kim didn't stop there, her wrath had just begun.

The dazed and agonized Goran found himself on his feet, with Kim lifting him by his collar and shaking him violently, "Now I'll let you know what Ron felt like!"

The fuzzy image of Kim with gritted teeth was all he could see, then he felt a sudden powerful pressure on his chest, the mesmerized audience discovered that Kim had placed both her feet on his body and used him to leap to the sky, performing a mystifying back flip.

The jolt caused Goran to bend backwards, and as Kim stretched her foot down towards him, Goran realized to his horror that his face was to meet the sole of her boot. The dramatic scene as Kim descended from above ended when she planted Goran's head into the ground.

Had he been able to avoid the attack or not, it made no difference. Everyone agreed he was too stunned to react to such a spectacular feat. Fast, accurate and powerful, her moves were just right. They were perfect.

Her hair blew with the wind, her breathing slowed, and she rose to her feet. Standing over the motionless body of Goran, everyone watched speechless as she slowly made her way over to her unconscious friend without even a peek at her victim. She helped Ron on to his feet, placing his arm around her and leading him through the crowd, whom more than willingly cleared the way for them to go to the medical center.

After that, everyone's gaze returned to the ring, where a static Goran lay on his back, groaning and going in and out of consciousness. For a moment, no one spoke, no one moved. The thought that Kim had just flattened Goran didn't quite compute in everyone's mind yet. It took another agonizing groan from him to regain everyone's composure and motivate them to lift him from the ground.

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A speeder bike hovered at an incredible speed, coming over the hill towards the village. Its loud engine whined as it carried the two passengers on board.

Purt in his blue Mandalorian uniform piloted the bike, as Jarren held on behind him. His blue hair along with his long Jedi robes flapped wildly at the speed with which they approached the village. When they finally reached the closest building, Purt brought the bike to a stop and both of them hopped off to find a gathering of armored and colorful Mandalorians.

Purt didn't wait a moment before he ran in to meet them, Jarren on the other hand was adjusting his clothes and neatening his hair, but when he glanced at the large man who stepped out of the crowd, he immediately poised himself. The Mandalorian was dressed in blue armor, similar to the one Purt had, except it had yellow streaks on the arms and forehead, and the helmet was not oval, it was smaller, more of a tube shape than a curvy square, and it had a larger T shaped visor than the others. He was certainly striking to look at.

The Mandalorian spoke, "Who's he?"

The man had a strong voice, although it was the same mechanical muffle they all had through the mask, but this one was louder, more rough.

Jarren stepped forward, "I'm Jarren, I'm…"

"I didn't ask you, stranger!" The man interrupted, with a harsh tone in his voice, making Jarren feel obliged to step back.

Purt then took his place and gestured with his hand towards the young boy, "He's a Jedi student. He said he wanted to speak to Mandalore about a personal matter."

The larger Mandalorian glanced at Jarren, the young Jedi could feel that he was being studied. Through that visor the Mandalorian watched everything from his stand, his facial expression, even his breathing.

"What else do you have to tell me about him?"

Purt smiled behind the mask, no one could see it, but it became obvious when he spoke, "He beat Merko Ordo in the battle ring!"

The mandalorian lifted his chin in interest, "Is that so?"

He then paced over to Jarren, who had an innocent smile on, his walk was firm and very military, "So Jarren, what is it you want from me then?"

Jarren cleared his throat; he didn't realize that Mandalore stood before him all this time. And yet, somehow it made sense, he thought of what might be the best way to make his request, "I was sent here to complete my final trial, my task is to adapt to Mandalorian culture, and of course I will do whatever I can to pass this challenge, in order to prove myself a worthy Jedi Knight."

"Impressive speech there boy," responded Mandalore sarcastically, "but the real challenge is not to impress your simplistic old men on the council, the real challenge here is to prove to us why we should accept you in our culture. You may have impressed a few Mandalorians in the battle ring, but In order to adapt, you must become a Mandalorian yourself!"

"I don't understand," Jarren replied, shrugging, "What must I do then?"

"Don't ask me," chuckled Mandalore, "Look around, see what you can do to impress me, get to know some of the villagers perhaps and ask them, this is your trial not mine!"

"So you don't mind me wondering through your village? Getting to know your people?" asked Jarren rather stunningly.

Once again, Mandalore derided, "Go ahead, be my guest! There's not much for a stranger to see here anyway! You'll find our way of life is nomadic, look around boy I insist, and once you're done from here I suggest you tell everyone about us, because once the Republic crumbles the Mandalorians will become the only dominant power in the galaxy!"

The egotistical rant staggered Jarren, he couldn't believe the warmongering he heard come out of Mandalores' lips, he had never thought that the Mandalorians really fancied themselves as the dominant power before. But nevertheless, he was aware of the rivalry the Republic and the Mandalorian Empire had, and the more the Mandalorians expand their territories, the more of a chance a war could erupt.

"What's the matter, boy?" Mandalore snapped Jarren out of his trance, "You changed your mind?"

"Oh no, not at all," Jarren shook his head and smiled, "I relish the challenge!"

"Good." Mandalore seemed pleased with Jarrens' attitude, "I'll be watching you boy. So surprise me."

Mandalore walked back towards the small crowd of Mandalorians behind him. Purt took a glance at the Jedi and then joined the crowd that stepped into the guard post; leaving Jarren standing alone contemplating what seems to be the toughest part of his trial. Somehow he must become a Mandalorian.

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A.N.

Oh for sure, the next chapters will be fun!


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